How To Train Your Puppy
by Concinnity
Summary: Finding a homeless puppy on the side of the road isn't all that big a deal, right? Well, when Seto takes the little rascal home, he gets a lot more that he's expecting. Eventual Joey x Kaiba. Rating may change for later chapters. -ON HIATUS-
1. Chapter 1

Seto sighed as he pulled his jacket tighter around him. Finally, the school day was over and he could go home. However, that thought didn't lighten his mood at all, as he'd received an unpleasant text message at the end of the day, telling him that, unfortunately, his limo driver had fallen ill and would not be able to pick him up, forcing the rich and pampered brunette to _walk_ home.

It wasn't that long of a walk, but it simply kept getting more and more frustrating as, halfway home, early season snow began to drift downward from the cold, grey sky. By then, Seto was succeeding in hating absolutely everything on the planet. He hated his school for being so damn far away from home, not to mention so preppy and private and expensive. He hated his limo driver for getting sick today, of all days, and forcing him to walk in the snow. He hated that damn whimpering that was beginning to grate on his nerves… Wait, whimpering?

Seto's head snapped up just as the noise started and he waited for it to begin again. Eventually, another small whimper echoed from a nearby alley. Propelled by his curiosity, and eager for a distraction from the snow, the brunette veered off course to investigate. His searching revealed a cardboard box, overturned next to a dumpster, as the offender. It wasn't too large, but it wasn't a small box, either. As he approached it, the inanimate object shifted slightly and whimpered again. Cautiously, Seto flipped the box.

There sat a pathetic looking golden retriever puppy, perhaps only a couple of weeks old. It was thin and shivering and looked up at him with scared, weak brown eyes. Seto stared back at it, rather surprised. However, then reality sank in again. A cardboard box that whimpered and moved? What else could he have expected? He knelt to check the pup. No collar, no tattoo, and no chip or any other form of ID. The dog was definitely a stray.

However, dogs born strays were scavengers, and often fine on their own. Seto stood and turned, going to make his way back to the street once more. Immediately, the whimpering began again and he glanced back in time to see the puppy try to stand and follow him. As it put weight on its left hind leg, however, it yelped and fell again. The brunette sighed, turning and crouching next to the puppy again to scratch it behind the ears.

"You're going to guilt me into taking you home with me, aren't you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and sighing. He received a small whimper in response. "… Fine." In one swift movement, the brunette scooped the puppy up, cradling it in his arms as he walked swiftly in the direction of home.

The walk took only five minutes, but by the end of it, the puppy had already nestled itself in Seto's coat, a furry lump with its head poking out the male's collar. The situation was quite cute, and rather comedic for the people who knew the slightly embarrassed brunette was Seto Kaiba. After all, since when did big CEOs go around with puppies in their jackets?

By the time Seto got home, he was annoyed again and reached up to brush the snow from his hair and shoulders, supporting the puppy with his other arm. The small bundle of fur in his coat was very warm against his chest and he instinctively smiled slightly. It was then he heard the familiar, and excited greeting.

"Seto! You're home!" Mokuba went to perform his daily running hug, but froze completely as he spotted what was in his older brother's coat. "Oh… my god. It's a puppy!" The boy's eyes lit up brighter than they had been before. "Oh, it's so cute, Seto! Can we keep it! Is it a boy or a girl? Please? Oh, please, can we keep it?" he asked as he reached up and scratched the pup behind the ears and giggled.

"We'll see, Mokuba. I have to get a vet to look at it. It's injured, so be nice, alright?" he said, as he went to lift the puppy from his coat to pass it to his brother. However, for his efforts, he received a small growl as the dog snuggled deeper into his jacket. Mokuba smiled.

"It likes you, Seto! _I'll_ go call the vet, okay?" he said, turning and hurrying toward the first room with a phone in it. Suddenly, Seto was left alone once more in the hallway, snow still lingering in his hair, and a stubborn puppy in his coat.

The Kaibas, being a rich and influential family, could easily convince almost anyone to make a house call, no matter what their profession. When the doorbell rang; Seto knew to expect the vet.

"Hello, Kaiba-sama. I came as fast as I could." Said the woman standing outside. She held an examination bag. Seto nodded and stepped aside to let her in and closed the door behind her.

"It's fine. You've arrived quite promptly." he replied with a small smile. "Now, so far, it's refused to get out of my coat. Do you think…?" he asked, gesturing to the puppy, napping comfortably against his chest. The vet smiled and very gently lifted the sleeping puppy, which didn't stir as she cradled it against her chest.

"A bathroom should be sufficient enough to do a check up," she offered and the brunette nodded, leading the way into the house. After a minute or so of walking, the puppy awoke and began to growl. It stopped promptly when it saw that Seto was nearby, prompting the vet to giggle and receive a questioning look from the brunette. Finally, they came to a spacious and mostly empty bathroom.

"Will this be alright?" Seto asked, and the vet nodded with a smile.

"This should be perfect." she replied as she placed the puppy down on the counter. The golden-furred pup immediately sat on the cool countertop and stared up at them both curiously. Meanwhile, the vet placed her bag on the counter, opening it and checking her tools. "It's not hard to tell this little rascal is a boy, as well as unfixed." she began, "He's got a good part of golden retriever in him, although I'd bet he's got some kind of lab in him, too." She gently began to part the puppy's fur. "Miraculously enough, no ticks or fleas, although on the phone, your brother said it was injured?" she inquired, and Seto nodded.

"Yes. His left hind leg couldn't support his weight when I found him. I don't believe it still can, or I have a feeling he'd be running about and exploring the mansion by now." he explained with a small smile. The vet nodded and began to examine the puppy a bit more thoroughly. Checking his watch, Seto realized it was time to put Mokuba to bed, so he excused himself and headed up to his little brother's bedroom.

By the time he returned, within twenty minutes, the vet was smiling and putting her things away.

"His leg's fine. It's just a strain, probably from chasing something. He's completely clean, no ticks or fleas, and I gave him his shots, just in case." As if on cue, the puppy growled defiantly. The vet chuckled and passed Seto a small bottle. "These are a few painkillers, if he needs them. Crush them and put them in his food. In any case, he should heal up in the next few days, so just try to keep him from doing anything strenuous until he's feeling better." she finished, picking up her bag.

"Don't worry. I have a feeling he won't be too inclined to run around this weekend." Seto replied, imagining the puppy curled into his jacket all weekend. He smiled. "Thank you very much. Your payment will be sent to the veterinary office, with a sizeable tip for the house call." The vet thanked him and was soon on her way, leaving Seto with the puppy again. "A boy, huh?" he said softly as he scratched it behind the ears. "Well, first time you piss on anything in the house, you're going back out into that cardboard box." He picked the puppy up. Immediately, it was nuzzling under his coat again and curling up to his chest, and he sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next few days, the puppy became a comfortable part of the Kaiba life. The vet's diagnosis on his day of discovery quickly came true, and his leg healed. After a while, a schedule was built. The puppy would spend the day playing with Mokuba, but would follow Seto around as soon as he arrived at home, finally worming its way into his bed at night. The brunette always fell asleep with the warm furry bundle in his arms.

One day, as Seto returned from school, his ankles were ambushed by a familiar furball, who tugged on his pants leg excitedly, but good-naturedly. He smiled and knelt to scratch behind fuzzy ears. Right away, the puppy nuzzled happily against his hand and affectionately licked his fingertips.

"Hey! Joey? Jo- Oh!" Mokuba spotted his older brother and the puppy as he emerged from a side hallway. "Seto. Welcome home!" He said happily, hugging the brunette and watching him scoop up the puppy.

"Who's Joey?" Seto asked, raising an eyebrow. His younger brother simply grinned brightly and pointed to the puppy. His older brother blinked, rather blankly.

"I was watching a nature show about kangaroos on TV, and he was sitting in my lap. When the baby kangaroo came on the screen and the narrator called it a 'Joey,'" Mokuba paused to show how the puppy looked up at the name, smiling, "The puppy ran to the TV and barked each time the narrator said the name, like he was being called." Seto chuckled at the story and held the puppy in the air.

"Is that you?" he asked, "Is your name Joey?" He received an excited bark and wild tail wagging as the puppy squirmed to be put down. "Alright! Joey it is, then." he said, setting the puppy down and kicking his shoes off so he could go sit down. Joey barked and followed Seto into the house.

The evening was relaxed and enjoyable, as evenings always were. The only exception was trying to keep Joey away from the dinner table. The puppy didn't seem to know when to give up. He wouldn't touch the dog food the butler had bought, and instead, would manage to look cute enough to guilt the chef into giving him scraps. Every evening, he'd sit looking determined, at the dining table's end, hoping for scraps. He received them from Mokuba whenever Seto wasn't paying attention.

By the end of the evening, as Seto headed for bed, Joey was still tagging along, at his heels. The brunette held the door open for the puppy instinctively, who ran inside and immediately hopped up onto the bet, curling up on the pillow.

"Come on, now. Get off." Seto said with a chuckle, as he mercilessly pushed Joey off the pillow. "You know that's mine." Joey growled softly, but obeyed and sat, waiting for the brunette to settle. Upon changing into pajamas and peeling back the covers to slide into the bed, Joey wormed his way under the sheets and the brunette smiled and sighed. He dropped the blanket, and suddenly there was only a small lump under his covers. The lump moved left, and then right, then straight for the edge of the bed, so fast it may have been determined to go on forever. Seto reached out only just in time to catch Joey as he tumbled out from under the blankets and off the bed with a small yelp. He chuckled and held the puppy up. Joey simply barked and wagged his tail, catching Seto off guard by licking his nose. The brunette smiled and climbed into bed. Immediately, Joey curled up on his chest and yawned, nuzzling into his top. Still smiling softly, Seto reached down and scratched his puppy's ears as he closed his eyes and began to doze.

Seto's dream that night was strange. He dreamed of a blonde man, handsome and with kind eyes, holding a hand out to him. The young man, probably his own age, pulled him into his arms and nuzzled Seto's neck. The brunette dreamed that they fell asleep in each other's arms, warm and happy. When he awoke in the morning, he shook his head groggily, trying to remember his dream. However, it disappeared from his mind quickly and left him with a playful puppy pulling on the sheets and pillow to get him up quicker.

They bought Joey a collar with his name on the tag only a few days later. Joey Kaiba was officially part of the family.

Weeks passed by swiftly, during which Seto continued to attend school, as every teenager must. Once, Joey got out of the house and followed the brunette to the school, where he began to dig big holes in the field. When he was spotted in the field, the janitor tried to catch him. Joey was too quick and bolted through the employee's legs and down the hall. The principal and vice principal were both outsmarted as well, and it was after a good twenty minute-long chase, that Joey was finally cornered in the girls' washroom.

Seto was sitting in class, reading a book as the P.A. sounded.

"_Attention to the student who brought a golden retriever puppy to school… Joey is waiting in the office for you to __take him home_." The last three words were so emphasized that the brunette winced visibly and stood suddenly. The wide eyes of his classmates, who simply could not believe that their stone cold and near robotic classmate could ever own a dog, let alone a troublesome puppy, followed his exit.

As the brunette entered the office, Joey, who'd been enjoying coos of adoration from the office ladies, barked and ran to his side. Seto sighed and knelt; completely ready to scold the pup, but Joey licked his cheek excitedly and wagged his tail in a completely innocent manner. He sighed heavily and turned to his principal.

"My apologies for this. He must have followed me to school." he said, bowing slightly, dog still in his arms. He was dismissed to take Joey home. As he entered the classroom, only to grab his bag, all of the girls spotted the cute, tail-wagging bundle in his arms and a collective excitement broke out among them as they all jumped up to pet him. Joey loved the attention, and Seto suffered through it as he answered the questions about his dog, pushing through the crowd, grabbing his bag and leaving the class, long before the girls had gotten their fill of Joey cuteness.

As they headed out down the street toward the Kaiba mansion, Seto sighed and shook his head, flicking Joey on the nose. He received only a content lick of the fingertips.

"So, a troublemaker _and_ a ladies' man, eh?" he asked with a small chuckle. The brunette shook his head. "Well, I suppose I'll have to keep a closer eye on you from now on." he noted mildly that Joey's tail faltered in its wagging for only a moment.

Joey was a clever puppy, and although Seto was much more careful after the school incident, he still managed to escape the mansion grounds on a regular basis. The puppy followed Seto absolutely _everywhere_, even when told to stay. He was unbelievably exasperating, but whenever Seto tried to discipline him, Joey would droop his ears and look up at the brunette with the most pitiful and imaginable expression one could ever picture a dog making. Seto's heart would melt and he'd usually give up immediately.

Nevertheless, the house brightened considerably with Joey's presence, with the exceptions of the maids he tortured by ruining pillows and tracking dirt when he came in from the yard. However, discipline didn't work, and the puppy was too free a spirit to be trained. Not that it was really such a bad thing. Joey was the family's free spirit.


	3. Chapter 3

It was only about a week before Christmas Eve, when Seto relaxed in the living room with a mug of hot chocolate in his hands and a puppy in his lap. Mokuba was curled up in his big, comfy armchair, completely immersed in the new DS game the cook had given him as an early Christmas present. Something about solving puzzles. Seto approved, if it would force Mokuba to think things out and use his brain. The evening was quiet and cozy, until the crackling of the fireplace was interrupted by Seto's cell phone, vibrating officially on the table. He sighed and picked it up, flipping it open and pressing it hesitantly to his ear.

"Yes?" he asked, sounding as official as his phone. He was silent for a few moments, and then sighed. "You're sure it can't be done any other night? I do have family things I'd like to tend to." At the word 'family', Mokuba glanced up from his game, hitting the pause button to listen in. Seto was silent for a few more moments before sighing. "Alright, fine. It had better be over by seven, though. I'm not going to ruin the Christmas of the people I care about by working all night." He then closed the phone promptly, without even a goodbye.

"… Seto?" Mokuba spoke quietly, brow furrowed. The brunette glanced up quickly, and smiled, reaching out to scratch the relaxing Joey behind the ears. He shook his head dismissively.

"It's just an opening ceremony for a new Kaiba Corp. building I've got to attend." he replied. His brother, however, frowned slightly, not buying the nonchalance. "Alright." Seto sighed after a few moments, "It's on Christmas Eve." He immediately saw his brother's eyes widen and mouth begin to open in protest. "Please. Mokuba. I don't have to be there late. You know that I wouldn't dream of missing a family Christmas." His brother seemed calmed by that, and he nodded.

"Fine… But you'd better be home on time." he said softly, pouting. Seto smiled and stood, holding a napping Joey in one arm and ruffling his brother's hair affectionately with the other.

"I promise." He replied. "Now, I'm headed for bed. You don't stay up too late, alright?" Mokuba nodded and returned to his DS as Seto left the room and headed down the hall toward his bedroom.

By the time the brunette got into the hall, Joey was awake and squirming to be put down. As soon as the puppy's feet were on the floor, he ran ahead of Seto, completely aware by now of where his owner was going.

Their bedtime ritual was comfortably ingrained in both their minds now. Joey hopped up onto the bed, after having his paws checked for dirt, of course, and stole Seto's pillow while the brunette changed. Then, Seto would come over and push Joey off, pulling back the covers, under which the puppy would crawl. It became a small game of cat and mouse, until Seto caught Joey or the puppy fell off the bed, into his owner's waiting arms. They'd then tuck into bed and turn out the light, Joey sleeping on the brunette's chest when he slept on his back, or tucked in his arms when he slept on his side. Both dog and owner would be asleep within minutes.

It was rare, though, that Seto awoke in the night. He groaned and rolled over in his half-sleep, his eyelids fluttering. Finally, he awoke properly and immediately winced at the churning in his stomach. He glanced at the clock. 11:54… Great. Another violent churning sent his mind leaping into action, running a list of all he'd eaten that day. It continued doing so as he carefully moved Joey off his chest and headed for the bathroom adjoining to his room.

He quickly found out it was his dinner. Perhaps the seafood stew hadn't been cooked thoroughly enough, but the brunette made it to the bathroom just in time to throw the toilet lid and seat back and lean in to violently expel the contents of his stomach into the perfectly white porcelain bowl. He heaved for a good few minutes, finally just pushing up bile and stomach fluids before he groaned, wiped his mouth with a piece of toilet paper and flushed the toilet. Slowly, he lowered himself to the cool tile of the floor, intending to only rest a few minutes before he crawled back into bed. Nobody ever had to know he'd been sick.

However, he quickly found he couldn't find the strength to get up again. He'd begun to feel hot and sweat uncomfortably, the tile beneath his head becoming clammy and uncomfortable. A feverish stupor washed over him and his eyelids fluttered as he gave up trying to lift himself from the floor. His clothing was sticking to him uncomfortably as he sweated. Whatever had been in that stew had really disagreed with him, he thought as he panted and his eyes slowly closed. Perhaps a little bit of sleep here would help him and he could get back into bed in a few hours.

Seto wasn't sure how long he'd been on the floor, but it couldn't have been very long before he vaguely heard footsteps outside the bathroom. Suddenly, there was someone next to him, checking his forehead. The person's hand withdrew, as if startled, when it felt his outrageous fever. Then, strong arms gently slid under him and lifted him off the floor. The brunette found he was too tired to even open his eyes and mouth to thank whichever butler or maid that had obviously heard him getting sick and come to aid him, so he simply rested his head on the mystery person's chest, letting his senses drift away. He was vaguely aware of being deposited back in his bed, tucked into the blankets comfortably.

The next thing he was aware of was a cool cloth being placed over his eyes. Again, he went to say his thanks for the aid he was receiving, but he couldn't get anything out. His throat was strangely dry as well. He sighed and laid still, slowly drifting off to sleep again. His body, having expelled the offending food, was starting to calm down and he was feeling better. He later decided he must have been delusional from the fever, but as Seto began to fall asleep, he was almost sure somebody had slipped into the bed next to him and held him in their arms.

The next morning, Seto awoke with a long yawn. He groaned grumpily as he did every morning, but sat up anyways. As always, there was Joey, asleep on the duvet next to him. However, the strange thing was the cloth on the pillow. Seto stared at it for a few moments, frowning slightly before the memory of what had happened the night before came rushing back to him. That was right! His illness, and the person who'd helped him back into bed! The brunette looked around for anyone in his room, but could locate not a soul. Did the butler, (He decided it must have been a male. None of the female aids of the house could have carried him,) not want any kind of reward for coming to his aid? He sighed, but shook his head and stood. No new wave of nausea hit him as he stood and he smiled thankfully, stretching.

His rise from the bed awoke Joey, who was wide awake in an instant and sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at Seto intently, as if wanting to know he was all right. The brunette blinked and looked at the puppy, whose tail began to wag of its own nature as he noticed his master's stare.

"Ah. That's right. You probably heard my illness last night." he said softly, leaning to scratch the puppy behind the ears. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to worry you." Joey simply licked his fingers, happy that his owner was okay. Turning his attention to his closet, Seto sighed, rooting through his clothes for something to wear that day. "What do you think, Joey?" he asked the puppy as he pulled out two collared shirts, laying them on the bed. "Blue, or red?" The puppy promptly stood and stared at the clothes, before jumping on the red shirt and rolling all over it, shedding his blonde fur onto the colored fabric. Seto chuckled. "Alright, blue it is, then."


	4. Chapter 4

Seto yawned as he awoke, opening his eyes. The dream he'd been comfortably immersed in swiftly fled, leaving his mind depressingly empty. He promptly groaned and tried to bury his face in his pillow. What was with his subconscious mind and waking him up in the middle of the night for its sick amusement? However, as soon as he thought it, the word 'sick' made him pause to check how he was feeling. He was still wary of the events from the night before. When he noted that he wasn't nauseous at all, the brunette sighed. He glanced down to see Joey fast asleep, tucked right under the covers with him and he smiled slightly, stroking the soft fur on the dog's head.

Joey had been taken on a walk to the park earlier that day. Both Seto and Mokuba took turns holding the leash, struggling to keep the puppy in check. He bounded about in big strides, excited to run around and explore the park. Seto knew Joey would always come when called, but he was hesitant about letting the pup off the leash. However, the park was one that was friendly to dogs, so he relinquished control after a while and unclipped the leash.

Joey had been off like a rocket, exploring, sniffing everything, trying to chase joggers, and so on. By the end of their walk, Seto had had to apologize to two joggers for Joey getting under their feet and tripping them, not to mention drag the dog away from at least four of the gardens in the park, as Joey tried to tear them apart for the sake of digging. The puppy caused so much trouble, they almost got kicked out a few times, and another young man, whether trying to be helpful or funny, handed the brunette a pamphlet on a dog training school. Even though Seto shot a small glare at the man, he pocketed the pamphlet to look at later. Some discipline might be useful at some point.

Now, though, it seemed like the long walk had tuckered the pup out. His paw twitched in his sleep and Seto slowly ceased the petting. He didn't want to wake Joey this late. It might be impossible to get him to go to sleep again. He was about to cuddle back down under his blankets when a timid knock came at the door, startling him. He glanced at his clock, noting that it was 11:49. He slowly pulled back the duvet again and rose from his warm bed, albeit hesitantly. When he was halfway to the door, a small voice spoke out.

"Seto…?" As Seto recognized his brother's voice, he hurried forward to the door, pulling it open quietly and peeking out.

"Mokuba, what's the matter?" He asked, tilting his head. "You should be in bed." His brother simply shrugged, clutching at his arms and staring at the ground and his bare feet. He looked very unhappy, as if he'd been crying.

"… I had a bad dream." He said quietly. "Could you come tuck me in again?" he glanced up with pleading eyes, and Seto smiled slightly, ruffling his brother's hair. He knew that his younger sibling was slowly reaching the age where he'd have to be able to deal with these things on his own, but for now he would indulge him, knowing the needs for comfort that arose with nightmares.

"Alright." He replied, gently patting Mokuba's shoulder. "Let's go get you back into bed, then." The younger boy nodded and yawned, but stayed very close to his brother the whole time they were walking. After only a few minutes of walking, they reached the boy's room. Mokuba yawned again, stepping inside and climbing into bed. Seto followed closely behind, and once Mokuba was settled, he pulled the blankets up to the boy's chin.

"Seto?" Mokuba asked suddenly. His brother glanced up and blinked.

"Yes, Mokuba?" he replied. What was hiding behind the tone that Mokuba was using? His younger brother shifted slightly before looking up again.

"What were Mom and Dad like?" he asked suddenly, catching the brunette sorely off guard. Seto blinked a few more times and sighed, smoothing out the blankets on Mokuba's bed.

"I don't really remember." He replied truthfully. "Mother died a long time ago, only a couple months after you were born. I was still very small then. We were put up for adoption when Father couldn't support us anymore. However, I do remember that they both loved us very much and would have preferred to keep us if they could have." he spoke softly, and Mokuba nodded slowly, smiling.

"Do you think they would have liked me?" he asked quietly, making Seto smile softly and ruffle the boy's hair again.

"They would have, and did, love you very much. That's something I'm sure of" he replied, and Mokuba nodded.

"Promise?" he asked, looking up at his brother with a small, tired smile. Seto chuckled, leaning down to place a small kiss on Mokuba's forehead.

"Of course. I promise. Now, go to sleep, alright?" he pulled the blankets up a little further and his younger brother nodded and snuggled under his quilt.

"Goodnight, Seto." He said softly, with a small, sleepy smile. "I love you." Seto smiled as he left.

"I love you too, Mokuba. Sweet dreams."

The brunette sighed as he walked at a leisurely pace back down the halls toward his own room. Mokuba was at the age that he was starting to get unbelievably curious about their past and their parents. It frustrated Seto to no end that he couldn't answer the boy's questions when they were asked.

His own memory failed when it came to their past, although he was the older of the two. He remembered his father very vaguely. The man had loved them both and been a good man. That he still knew. However, when their mother passed away, god he wished he could remember her face, he had grown too weak in spirit to be able to support a family and had been forced to put the boys up for adoption in an orphanage. However, Seto didn't blame the man. After all, he'd done all he could.

That was what Seto was doing for Mokuba now. All he could. The boy would never be without something he needed, and would often have all he wanted, without being spoiled. The brunette wanted his younger brother to always be happy, and so, although he installed parental schedules and rules, he always gave the boy a little bit of leeway in everything as well. It worked, too, and generally, Mokuba was a happy person, compassionate and able to smile through a myriad of unpleasant things.

It prompted the brunette to smile as he thought of his brothers bright, innocent smile. Finally, he reached his room, and yawned, turning the doorknob and stepping inside. However, he got only about two steps into his room before freezing, eyes wide. Contrary to what he could ever possibly convince himself to believe, an odd scene indeed sat before him.

Joey had disappeared, no longer asleep comfortably on the bed, and in his place, tucked comfortably under the covers, laid a young, blonde man, his back turned to Seto. The brunette blinked a few times, not sure whether to leave and go get help, in case this man was dangerous, or go confront him. He eventually took the second option, stepping forward and grabbing the blankets, yanking them down enough to wake the other.

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing in my bedroom?" He snarled at the stranger, who was startled, and sat up. Seto went to drag the other off, but the young man, who he saw now was close to his age, blinked and held up his hands.

"S-Seto! Wait!" He exclaimed, stepping back and off the bed. His knees immediately buckled underneath him and he hit the floor, wincing. The brunette was even more unsettled that this blonde knew his name.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked coldly as he dropped on one knee to look the other straight in the startled brown eyes. The young man shrank away, obviously afraid of Seto's anger and confusion.

"Seto, it's me. Look!" The blonde lifted his head and pointed to a collar fastened around his neck. The brunette frowned slightly as he tried to see what it said. However, as he read the tag on the collar, his eyes widened considerably.

The tag on the collar said "Joey."


	5. Chapter 5

Seto could barely believe what was going on before him as Joey smiled slightly and shrugged, sitting on the bed and pulling the blanket over his lap to modestly hide his nakedness. He took a deep breath and looked up at the brunette with apologetic brown eyes.

"Seto… Obviously, you can tell that I-I'm not an ordinary dog." The blonde said quietly, looking at the floor. The brunette could only nod, incredulously as he stared at his once-puppy, now-man. Joey sighed. "Well, I suppose a bit of explaining is in order." He received only another nod and he chuckled quietly.

"Yes. I would love an explanation as to why my _dog_ just became a… a…" Seto's voice failed him, and he fell silent, waiting for Joey to speak again. The blonde paused to make sure Seto was present and listening to him before nodding calmly and beginning his story.

"My name, many, many years ago, was once Jono." He said, staring off into the distance. "I have lived for thousands of years, under a furred exterior. Once, even, I was a friend of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. He was a wonderful man, always kind and compassionate. He was just, and he believed in the good in everyone. I trusted him with my life." Seto's brow furrowed slightly, as he wondered if he should believe this young man. However, his curiosity got the best of him and he sat, listening intently. Joey continued after a moment. "The high priest of the kingdom didn't like the fact that the pharaoh associated himself with me, as I was just a workman. A serf, as they called it in later years, and I believe the term then became a lower-class citizen."

"So, if this is true." Seto interjected suddenly, frowning slightly. "Then, why are you sitting here, on my bed? Ancient Egypt existed thousands of years ago. To have survived that long, you'd have to be immortal." Joey smiled slightly.

"I was getting to that part." He replied calmly, "Now, there were a number of mythical artifacts kept in the deepest royal chambers called the Millennium Items. The high priest eventually grew angered by my friendship with the pharaoh and used one to halt our affiliation." Joey stared at the ground at this point, glaring at the carpet savagely. "He said I did not belong in the palace, as I was nothing more than a mutt of the streets… And then he turned me into a one." Seto frowned slightly and interjected again.

"Then why are you a human now?" he asked impatiently, arms crossed. This blonde male was getting on his nerves, and his story was getting more and more farfetched. Joey sighed and chuckled.

"My curse lives for twenty-three of the twenty-four hours in a day. You see a Millennium Item cannot turn something into something else. However, some of them can control minds, hold spirits, and even create illusion. That is what the high priest did." He glanced down again, as if the thought of said priest made him both sad and angry at the same time.

"So, you mean… you can't be a dog all day, or you'd have become something else entirely, which those… items can't do? Instead, they create the illusion that you're a dog, by making you into one for the better part of the day?" Seto asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Joey nodded, smiling brightly.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed, grinning. "I am to live an eternity as a dog, only to be reminded of what it is to be human in the dead hour of the day." He said, sighing. "My curse will die when someone decides that I am worth caring about, whether I am a peasant, a serf, a… a lower-class citizen, a dog, or not." He glanced away with a small heave of a sigh. "I must get someone to fall in love with me as a human, _and_ as a dog."

Seto shook his head, trying to process what he'd just learned. He then looked up at Joey, seriously. Joey stared back, unsure whether to be intimidated by the other's stare or not. However, the truthful look in the blonde's eyes was unbelievably clear.

"Joey." The brunette said quietly, and the blonde perked up slightly, staring at Seto a bit more intently. "You are still my dog, right?" he said softly, confused. Joey simply smiled.

"I would never want to be anyone else's. Of any of my owners, you are the kindest, and most wonderful person I've ever lived with." He replied without hesitation. Seto nodded mutely, thinking to himself.

"… Last night… Was that you?" he asked suddenly, looking up as he remembered his bout of illness the night before and the person who'd carried him back to bed. The blonde was surprised, and it took a moment for the question to register, before he answered Seto with only a smile and a nod. Seto paused to look at the other. "Joey, this is all the truth, isn't it?" he asked, as reality began to close in on him. The blonde nodded.

"Afraid so." He replied, nodding. "I am all that you see here, and all you've seen of me before." He paused to place a hand on Seto's shoulder. The brunette almost went to flinch away, but paused and then calmed down, simply looking at Joey. "But I am your dog. That's what I'm happy being… Okay?" Seto nodded slowly.

"Of course." He replied, unsure of what else he could possibly say. Joey nodded and yawned. "Well, then. I suppose… it's back to bed."

"Yeah." Was the blonde's immediate reply, as he found the edge of the covers and dove under them head first, worming his way back up to the pillows, afterward. Seto smiled slightly, suddenly noting that this mysterious blonde male was certainly a lot like a dog, even when in his human body. Perhaps all those thousands of years had changed him slightly. He slid under the covers as well, yawning and lying flat on his back

"Joey?" he asked softly. The blonde shifted to look at him with slight curiosity in his eyes. Seto simply smiled again. "You're… a good dog." He said, reaching out. Joey grinned and inched closer to the brunette, snuggling against his side.

"You're a good master." He replied comfortably and yawned, closing his eyes. Seto noted that the blonde was extremely talented at falling asleep quickly, as he was out within a few minutes of the comment.

"Hm… That's good to know." The brunette said, more to himself, than the sleeping teen in his arms. He closed his eyes slowly, yawning slightly.

When the brunette awoke the next morning, he realized where his strange dream the other night had been from, and sat up suddenly. Upon glancing down, he saw a familiar sight, though now, it seemed to strange to see Joey curled up in the small nest of blankets, paw and tail twitching as his furry chest rose and fell to the timing of his breathing.


	6. Chapter 6

Seto sighed as he pulled on his coat. The weather outside was nasty and cold, not to mention unwelcoming. As much as a Christmas Eve snow was pleasant, it wasn't when he was going to be spending the next few hours outside, waiting for some other guy to finish his speech on why the new KaibaCorp building was so important. Then, he'd oversee the cutting of the ribbon, and have to stand around while reporters asked him questions about something he didn't really care about.

He left the house in a rather unpleasant mood, not looking forward to the next little while he was stuck spending outside. However, he'd make the best of it and put on a smile when he came home to Mokuba.

Behind him, at the door, came a small yelp, and Seto turned around to see Joey tumble down the stairs and land in a snowdrift. He was a bit bigger than when the brunette had originally found him, coming up almost to Seto's knees, and now that he knew his secret, the delayed growth didn't surprise him much. The puppy stumbled playfully through the snow, leaping at his master's shins.

"Oh, no you don't." Seto said with a chuckle as he wrapped an arm around Joey's waist and lifted him off the ground. "Geez, Joey. Stop growing. You were easier to pick up and cuddle when you were little." He said, and the puppy simply growled and wagged his tail, panting adorably. "You've got to stay here for now, okay? I'll be home tonight."

The tail stopped wagging. Not a good sign. Seto sighed as Joey whined and wriggled to be put down. He tugged on Seto's pants leg as soon as the brunette complied.

"Come on, Joey. I won't be long. A few hours, and then I'll be home again. I promise." he assured, kneeling down to scratch behind his dog's ears. Joey stared at him with a greatly exasperated look that said '_But Seto, it's _Christmas,_ for God's sake! Can't you stay home for once?_' The brunette shook his head.

"Look, I can't just turn this down, now. It's important to my image. I'll be home in a few hours." He said, turning around to leave. Joey growled. "Now go inside, Joey." Then, he was gone, leaving the blonde-furred puppy outside in the snow, debating on what he should do next.

Finally, his mind made up, Joey headed down the drive, away from the mansion and toward the street.

Seto stepped into the limousine, waiting for his driver to begin their drive. He yawned and leaned against the heated leather seat as he stared out the window. He knew where they were going. He had taken Joey for a walk to go see the building about to be opened, simply because, well… because he was Seto Kaiba. Did he need another reason? No he didn't. Because Seto Kaiba was almighty.

His chuckle was soft in the limo, and he rested his head against the window, watching cars go by endlessly. The drive was short, and before long, he saw the building come into sight. The limousine pulled to a halt near the event, and Seto stepped out. He was immediately flanked by flashing cameras and reporters, obviously there to capture the moment of his arrival.

From down the street, Joey could see his master's vehicle stop and him emerge from it. His ears perked up as he wandered closer to the event and stayed hidden from Seto's gaze, not wanting to arouse the wrath of his master. He'd seen Seto angry and it was not pretty at all. The person he directed his rage at was usually scared out of their wits and ran off to fix whatever it was they had messed up.

Seto walked briskly as he could up onto the steps of the new KaibaCorp building and was thankful when the security held the reporters at bay, away from him. He didn't appreciate them getting in his face for things that wouldn't even be of too much use or entertainment to the people watching their uninteresting news channels later on. Instead, he channeled all his energy on listening to the director of the new building, a man he didn't really like… His moustache unnerved him.

Joey could watch and listen from within the crowd. Some people ignored him, and some nudged him out of the way, muttering things like "Damn strays…" It hurt, but he'd learned to ignore the insults. Making his way around people's legs, he sat and listened to the speech, watching his master intently. What was so important about this? Seto was just standing there, and looked intensely bored and unhappy. What did this do for him?

As Seto waited for the man to finish his speech, he sighed softly. The man was going on now about some kind of new integrity being brought to KaibaCorp by the research they were going to do in this building. It all bugged the brunette slightly, as he had nothing to really do with this project. He simply oversaw it for a length of time, then grew bored, letting the designers go off on their own and invent, only checking in on time to time.

It would be set as a building to research new, more advanced Duel Monsters arenas. Portable ones like the Duel Disks, but more enhanced. Seto didn't really know what else could be added by now, but he didn't say that, and instead, agreed that more progress would indeed be useful. After all, everybody absolutely had to have the next big thing.

Joey growled softly as he watched the speech. Seto was unhappy! Why was he there, instead of at home, in front of the fireplace with his brother, where he knew he'd be happy? The dog was set to go give the brunette a piece of his mind when he heard voices nearby saying something odd.

"Is everything prepared?" The man next to him was speaking and Joey looked up, almost expecting the man to be talking to him. However, he realized just how silly that was. Why would he talk to a stray dog? No, he was speaking into a microphone hidden in his collar. The dog tensed. "It's good, then. Alright. I'll follow through."

Suddenly, the man was pulling something from his heavy coat, and Joey's eyes widened. A gun. The man had a gun. He was going to shoot somebody. Judging by the importance of everyone in the nearby vicinity, it would be an assassination, and the only person who would really be a target for an assassination here would be…

Joey froze. Seto.

As the man leveled the gun, Joey leapt into action, snarling dangerously. The man was startled, but didn't lower the gun, and so, the dog leapt at his arm, sinking his teeth into the dangerous man's flesh right through the fabric of his coat. The man yelled, and tried to shake him off. Eventually, he succeeded, but as his arm moved, his finger suddenly slipped.

Through the crowd rang a loud gunshot, and then a yelp, almost simultaneously. Seto froze and his eyes widened. He knew that yelp. It was the same one he heard every night when Joey fell off the bed during their games of tag, except… no.

"Joey!" The brunette exclaimed, completely forgetting where he was, and what was going on. The crowd was in a state of confusion as they looked for the man with the gun, but the man was gone, and as Seto shoved his way through the masses, he eventually came upon Joey, lying in the street. "No!! Joey!" The brunette dropped to his knees and held his dog tightly to his chest and pulling his white trenchcoat around him, staining it with blood.

Joey could hear screaming, and shouting, and his name being repeated. His legs felt numb, and he couldn't move. Only one thought was crossing his mind. Seto. Find Seto. Make sure Seto is okay. Suddenly, he was in arms, and being held tightly, as a voice repeated his name. A voice he recognized. Slowly, the puppy lifted his head and saw Seto's tear-brimmed eyes. Slowly, he nuzzled into the brunette's coat and tilted his head up, licking his master on the neck.

Then, darkness closed in and he fell unconscious.


	7. Chapter 7

Four hours isn't a very long time. Like, when you're having fun, four hours is nothing. It's gone in an instant. When you're sleeping, four hours is a heartbeat. But when you're waiting for something you'd give your life for to come out successful, four hours is an eternity of eternities.. It had been four hours that Joey had been in surgery, now, and Seto's hands were wringing nervously in his lap. His eyes had long since dried out the mysterious well of tears even he hadn't known existed, and now his sapphire orbs darted around the room nervously.

Mokuba was asleep in one of the big armchairs in the corner of the waiting room, exhausted from crying with his brother and worrying about the sweet pup that was being operated on in the next room.

A few hours back, probably only two, actually, the doctor had come out to tell them the extent of the damage done when Joey had been shot. He'd been shot near the spine, but not to the point of doing permanent damage. However, he'd also been trampled by the scared crowd, and the injuries from that were complicating the gun wound. He had two broken paws, his tail was injured, he had a couple broken ribs, and some very major bruises.

It was a simple case of either he'd pull through and come out just fine after the operation, or he wouldn't make it. There was no in between for Joey.

Sleepily, but much too scared and worried and tormented to rest, Seto glanced up at the clock. 10:12 on Christmas eve. Suddenly, the brunette felt like a jerk for not really considering that it was the biggest family day of the year earlier that day. As Joey had playfully insisted, he _could_ have refused to come, and spent the day safe and happy with his family.

He mentally slapped himself when he realized he was beating himself up for things that weren't his fault. They weren't his fault, Joey's fault, Mokuba's fault, or anybody's. Seto couldn't place the blame on anyone. At least, not anyone he loved. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes, feeling that sleepy ache setting in behind them.

Just a moment to rest them, and then he'd be back on the alert, waiting intently for news about his wonderful, beautiful, suffering puppy. As the thoughts drifted in on sleep-covered clouds, another tear snaked its way uncharacteristically down Seto's cheek.

"Mr. Kaiba?" Seto awoke with a start and looked up. The doctor was standing quietly in the doorway, speaking softly so as not to wake Mokuba. A nurse had obviously happened by, because the younger Kaiba brother was wrapped snugly in a blanket, and Seto had one around his shoulders. The brunette was on his feet immediately, however, sending the blanket to the ground.

"How is he? Are you finished? May I see him?" Seto asked softly, and with concern. The doctor nodded.

"We've done all we can. He does not need any life support units or anything, and we've bandaged his wounds and removed the bullet. We feel it would be a good idea for you to take him home." he said softly, "To spend his time somewhere he knows and feels safe… Just in case."

Seto's eyes threatened to fill with tears again and he bit his lip. He stepped forward and passed the doctor, nodding.

"I understand." He said softly. "We'll make sure he's comfortable and happy." He stared at the floor until he was in the room. Slowly, he leveled his gaze to the table and bit down even harder on his lip to keep from making a noise.

Joey was lying very still in the soft blanket that had been laid under him. His eyes were closed and there were bandages around his back right leg, his chest, and his left front leg. His tail had a splint on it, and all Seto could imagine when he saw it was the puppy he loved so much, growling playfully as he wagged that tail with insane determination.

As Seto approached, a few nurses came in and helped to lift the pup onto a small, rolling dog bed of sorts, which they then brought out to the waiting room. Seto stared at the ground as he scooped the still dead to the world Mokuba up into his arms and carried him outside to the limo before seeing that the nurses got his dog settled in safely as well.

The drive home was much longer than it seemed, and Seto had to fight back the tears every moment of it, until just looking at the street lights burned them and he wanted to just sleep. He couldn't though, and as soon as they reached home, he thanked his chauffeur, asked a butler to take Mokuba up to bed, slipped Joey off the seat and cradled him in his arms, taking him inside.

The puppy was still unconscious, and probably would remain as such, Seto thought as he ascended the stairs carefully so as not to jar the tender injured creature in his arms.

A moment of worry came when he realized it was only a few minutes to midnight, and Joey would change soon. Would the bandages fall off? Would they adjust to his change in size? Would his wounds reopen, or change to become more human wounds? He hurried up the stairs and into his room, gently placing the unconscious puppy on his bed.

11:58. Seto looked away from the clock and stroked Joey's furry cheek softly, tears springing to his eyes again. To see the puppy hurt like this on the bed that they used to play cat and mouse on every night before snuggling up together to go to sleep. Now, he wasn't even sure they'd ever be able to play their bedtime games again. The tears fell freely now and Seto sobbed softly, something he wasn't even sure he could still do.

11:59. He'd discovered Joey's secret on this bed. It had been the first time he'd seen Joey as a human. Seto realized he'd never feared Joey, but had been alarmed at the sight of a man in his bed. Now, he thought about just how handsome he thought the other was, and their playful nuzzles after his transformation. Joey would hold him in his arms. Now, what would he do if the blonde could never hold him again?

12:00. And there was the change. It wasn't like some mystical spell change. It wasn't really that he even changed at all. Seto thought of it as something akin to the heat waves over a road on a hot day. One moment, you saw him as a dog, and the next, the dog was no longer there, and a human remained. It was just like seeing him differently.

Even human, however, Joey looked pallid and weak. He had great bags under his eyes, and his skin was pale. He had a slight frown set upon his unconscious features, as if he were still trapped in the exact moment he'd passed out in, so many hours ago, out on the street. His hands were clenched tightly, even in his sleep, and he looked like he might let out with a whimper at any moment.

Laying his head down on the uninjured part of Joey's chest, Seto snuggled up to the blonde and began to cry again. He cried for everything in his life. He cried for Joey, for his 'father' adopting him, for his own family's untimely departure from his life. He cried for his brother, and his family, the people he loved, and the people he sometimes couldn't stand. For once in his life, Seto Kaiba cried for himself. And it cleansed him.

When the brunette lifted his head next, the clock said 12:52 and he realized with a start that he'd been crying for fifty minutes, curled up to Joey's unconscious body like somehow, his tears might revive the other and the blonde would wrap his arms around him and hold him tightly. For a few moments, it didn't happen and he felt very alone.

Then, suddenly, he heard a grumbling noise next to him and jumped. Joey was whimpering as his eyes fluttered open, and then closed again, and his brows were twitching, as if trying to adjust to the sudden pain. Seto was hovering over him in an instant, and as Joey's eyes opened, he smiled softly through his tears.

"… Seto." The recognition made the tears fall again, and Seto bit his lip and shook his head.

"Shush. We're home. You're safe… Th-The vet. They fixed you. You just need time to heal. That's all. Rest now." He knew that wasn't really the truth and could feel himself babbling, not even completely sure what he was talking about, but his mind caught up with his mouth at "… all my fault. I should've just stayed home and spent the day with you." The brunette paused to take a breath and simply looked at Joey, tears still in his eyes, threatening to fall at the slightest urge.

"S-Seto… He was gonna… kill you. Assassination." Joey said softly, trying to lift his left arm to touch the brunette. He whimpered, however, when he felt it jar sharply. Was it broken? Seto's concern sent him checking the blonde's arm thoroughly to make sure nothing had messed up the bandages. He wouldn't cry. He'd be strong. Then, Joey said something stupid again.

"I'll always be your dog, right?" he asked, his voice lined with fear at the unspoken thought that he might die. Seto froze, those tears leaking from his ducts and streaming down his face. He wrapped his arms around Joey, pulling the injured blonde as close as he could without aggravating his wounds.

"So much more, Joey. So much more." Seto replied softly, nuzzling the soft blonde hair. "I love you, Joey. I love you so much, and I always will. Don't you leave me, you understand?" The tears were sliding off his cheeks and his nose to rest in Joey's hair, dampening the spot where Seto was resting his head.

Suddenly, the brunette felt the blonde shaking in his arms and he lifted his head to find Joey's eyes sparkling with tears as well.

"I love you too, Seto. More than a pet can love its owner, so… _I_ love you. Jono. Joey. With every part of me, animal and human." The words sent shivers through Seto's spine and he smiled softly, leaning down as softly as he could to capture the blonde's lips in a chaste kiss.

The shivers increased, and Seto moaned as he realized Joey was growing warm in his arms. The blonde's good arm came up to carress the back of his head softly, running his fingers through his hair.

Suddenly, Seto pulled back, exclaiming as he raised his fingers to his lips, as if he'd been burned. His lips tingled strangely and he looked at Joey, noticing the same amount of confusion, and likely, the same tingling feeling rested upon the other's mouth as well. Then, as if on cue, they both heard the bleep of Seto's electric alarm clock changing minutes and looked over at it.

1:01 in the morning, on Christmas eve… and Joey was still a human.


End file.
